Cleaning liquid dispensing in a mobile hard surface cleaner

Abstract

A mobile hard surface cleaner includes a motorized scrub head, a fluid recovery device, a primary cleaning liquid component container, a cleaning agent container, a flow control device and a fluid flow path. The flow control device is configured to supply a flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container at a predetermined volume flow rate of greater than 0 cubic centimeters per minute and less than 10 cubic centimeters per minute to a flow of primary cleaning liquid component from the primary cleaning liquid component container. The fluid flow path is configured to receive a flow of cleaning liquid, which comprises the cleaning agent and the primary cleaning liquid component. A method of dispensing a chemical for use in a mobile hard surface cleaner includes driving a flow of cleaning agent from a cleaning agent container at a flow rate of less than approximately 10 cubic centimeters per minute, supplying a flow of primary cleaning liquid component from a cleaning liquid component container supported by the hard floor surface cleaner, combining the flow of cleaning agent and the flow of primary cleaning liquid component to form a flow of cleaning liquid, and dispensing the flow of cleaning liquid to either a motorized scrub head or a surface under the hard floor surface cleaner.

1 . A mobile hard surface cleaner comprising: 
 a motorized scrub head;    a fluid recovery device comprising a vacuum squeegee;    a primary cleaning liquid component container;    a cleaning agent container;    a flow control device configured to supply a flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container at a predetermined volume flow rate of greater than 0 cubic centimeters per minute and less than 10 cubic centimeters per minute to a flow of primary cleaning liquid component from the primary cleaning liquid component container; and    a fluid flow path configured to receive a flow of cleaning liquid, which comprises the cleaning agent and the primary cleaning liquid component.    
     
     
         2 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined flow rate of the flow of cleaning agent is substantially constant.  
     
     
         3 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the flow control device comprises a pump configured to drive the flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container.  
     
     
         4 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 a first pump configured to drive the flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container; and    a second pump configured to drive the flow of primary cleaning liquid component from the primary cleaning liquid component container.    
     
     
         5 . The cleaner of  claim 4 , including a fluid flow junction at which the flow of cleaning agent and the flow of primary cleaning liquid component are combined to form the flow of cleaning liquid, wherein the second pump is positioned in line with the flow of primary cleaning liquid and upstream of the fluid flow junction relative to the flow of primary cleaning liquid component.  
     
     
         6 . The cleaner of  claim 4 , including a fluid flow junction at which the flow of cleaning agent and the flow of primary cleaning liquid component are combined to form the flow of cleaning liquid, wherein the second pump is positioned in line with the flow of primary cleaning liquid and downstream of the fluid flow junction relative to the flow of primary cleaning liquid component.  
     
     
         7 . The cleaner of  claim 1 , wherein the flow of cleaning liquid has a flow rate through the fluid flow path of 0.5 gallons per minute.  
     
     
         8 . A mobile hard surface cleaner comprising: 
 a machine frame having a front end and a rear end with respect to a direction of travel of the cleaner over a surface;    motorized wheels connected to the frame and supporting the frame for travel over a surface;    a motorized scrub head supported by the frame;    a fluid recovery device supported by the frame and comprising a vacuum squeegee;    a primary cleaning liquid component container supported by the frame;    a cleaning agent container supported by the frame;    a flow control device supported by the frame and configured to supply a flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container at a predetermined volume flow rate of greater than 0 cubic centimeters per minute and less than 10 cubic centimeters per minute to a flow of primary cleaning liquid component from the primary cleaning liquid component container; and    a fluid flow path configured to receive a flow of cleaning liquid, which comprises the cleaning agent and the primary cleaning liquid component.    
     
     
         9 . The cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the vacuum squeegee is supported by the frame reward of the motorized scrub head relative to the front and rear ends of the frame.  
     
     
         10 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the wheels are positioned forward of the vacuum squeegee and rearward of the motorized scrub head relative to the front and rear ends of the frame.  
     
     
         11 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , further comprising a control unit including a steering control handle supported by the frame rearward of the vacuum squeegee relative to the front and rear ends of the frame.  
     
     
         12 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the fluid flow path includes a cleaning liquid distributor configured to discharge the flow of cleaning liquid to the surface on a front side of the motorized scrub head relative to the front and rear ends of the frame.  
     
     
         13 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the motorized scrub head comprises a disc-type scrub brush configured to rotate about a vertical axis relative to the surface.  
     
     
         14 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , wherein the flow control device comprises a pump configured to drive the flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container.  
     
     
         15 . The cleaner of  claim 9 , further comprising: 
 a first pump configured to drive the flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container; and    a second pump configured to drive the flow of primary cleaning liquid component from the primary cleaning liquid component container.    
     
     
         16 . The cleaner of  claim 8 , wherein the flow of cleaning liquid has a flow rate through the fluid flow path of 0.5 gallons per minute.  
     
     
         17 . A method comprising: 
 advancing a hard surface cleaner including a machine frame having wheels over a surface, the machine frame supporting a motorized scrub head, a vacuum squeegee, a cleaning agent container, and a cleaning liquid component container;    driving a flow of cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container at a predetermined flow rate of less than approximately 10 cubic centimeters per minute and greater than 0 cubic centimeters per minute;    supplying a flow of primary cleaning liquid component from the cleaning liquid component container;    combining the flow of cleaning agent and the flow of primary cleaning liquid component to form a flow of cleaning liquid;    dispensing the flow of cleaning liquid to either the motorized scrub head or the surface; and    recovering liquid from the surface with the vacuum squeegee.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the driving step includes pumping the cleaning agent from the cleaning agent container using a first pump.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the supplying step includes pumping the primary cleaning liquid component from the cleaning liquid component container using a second pump.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising scrubbing the surface with a scrubbing member of the motorized scrub head during the driving, supplying, combining, dispensing and recovering steps while moving the hard floor surface cleaner across the surface in a forward direction.